Frolic first block finished

The reveal of Bonnie Hunter's mystery quilt Frolic has occurred  and I was able to lay out the pieces I had finished.  However I had to quickly make a set of flying geese with pink and blue wings.  The last set of instructions includes cutting white squares and piecing the corners, but the blocks are set on point.

Then progress stalled as I wrote three job applications and packed to go on holidays.  I did pack my hand sewing but did not get it out of the bag once!

So I was keen to sew when we got home, hence one block got made up.  And now I have to suck it up and piece and trim parts before I cam make pretty blocks!  The heatwave weather is perfect for piecing, but we will see how far I get.

We had a lovely family holiday in Robe, a small beachside town in South Australia.  It was a lovely social relaxing time, but the weather was not what you would call hot...barely warm on the good days.

Hubby and I might look wind swept, here but let me assure you it was a heck of a lot windier at times!  Some of the tenting campers packed up and went home early - we have a pop up (the beds slide out under canvas) caravan and it did ratting a few nights, but it stayed up and kept us dry when it rained!

My two boys, two years apart and now about 2 cm height difference....fingers crossed Mr 13 has a growth spurt this year or Mr 11 is going to overtake him and squash his big brothers ego!

In order to make sure the boys could actually get in the water for more than 15 minutes, we purchased wetsuits so they could boogie board in comfort!  The two days it did rain were spent playing card games, reading, playing on the flying fox and jumping pillow and in the indoor pool in the caravan park - the kids had a ball!  I had a surfing lesson on one of the "bad" weather days and in a full wet suit it was surprisingly comfortable.  Trying to get up on the surfing board was not comfortable but it was good fun!  So now I can tick that experience off my bucket list, LOL!  

Back home and back to a heatwave, but rest assured in a very small caravan that qualifies as a glorified tent I was secretly pleased we had more bad weather than heat!

Happy quilting, Sue.

Green four patches and other RSC blocks

I made a resolution that in 2020 I would return to Rainbow Scrap Challenge - I really missed it last year!  Januarys colour is green.

To kick things off I have continued making four patches from 2.5" scraps in all shades of green.

Then I started making four patches of Half Squared Triangles in coordinated fabrics.  This got a bit tricky so I used similar toned fabrics to make up the numbers. I was hoping to make these the sails of sail boat blocks.  I have loads of brown scraps and thought I could use them as boat hulls.

Then I went looking for the previously made 4 patches that I had  made into Irish chain (??) blocks...not sure of name? And realised I had nearly enough to start making a charity quilt, if I could find some more white sashing fabric in my stash.  The bonus with this layout is all the single 2.5"squares that I cannot find a mate for, get to be cornerstones!  

After a marathon day sewing I thought I  was winning the war on reducing my scraps.  And then Mum decided to gift me some fabric (scraps of course) to "help" me out, LOL!  I spent another marathon day cutting it up into useable squares.  I am kitting up quilts for a charity sewing day and this will help....so long as all of it gets used up!

I started making these mini Dresden blocks a few years ago as part of my RSC, but only made seven.  The last block was orange and it turns out I cut them too small to use.  I lost interest then, but this year decided to resurrect this as my hand sewing project.  I loved making the leaves and berries in my Warm Regards quilt last year, so have appliqued cherries in the centre of each Dresden.  This has been a fun way to use my reproduction fabric scraps.  We will see how far I get this year.

Happy quilting Sue.

New bikes, bulbs and some sewing progress.

We brought our boys new bikes for Christmas.  I took them on a  ride New Years eve day...it was a long ride and they sailed along, while I struggled behind to catch up!  So more exercise required in 2020, if I am going to keep up and stay healthy!  

Sadly I didn't get a photo of both blooms on my gifted hellebore, but I am delighted it flowered at all.  My maternal grandmother had potted Hellebores on her porch and I always admired them.  In the last few years I have been adding the plants I admired from both grandmothers gardens into my garden.  This was a gift from the garden of a lady who lived in the retirement village I used to manage.  A very generous gift, as the bulbs are expensive.

I have been slowly stitching along with Frolic, Bonnie Hunters mystery.  I put off sewing one clue because it required cutting quarter square triangles - but when I did using Bonnies speciality ruler I was delighted how easy it was and that I got perfect flying geese.  I have never used a method for flying geese that gave me great results, so I am very pleased.  I will be saving that clue to live with the ruler, as the detailed instructions (including ironing directions) were very helpful.  I am really glad that I decided to only make half the quantity, I have struggled to find enough matching fabric and last week thought I had run out of blue...which has never occured in this house!  Luckily I found a meter each of two different navy prints in the backings box.
I thought I had no aqua scraps but it turns out I have heaps....but I had already given  into temptation and purchased some aqua, raspberry, white and bright green (in flying geese) ....so far only needed to use the green! I am definitely low on neutrals.  Over the last week I have kitted up about five charity quilts, but dont have neutrals for them all, so will have to go shopping...oh such hardships!
Happy quilting, Sue.

2020 here I come!

I try to make a "wish list" each year of quilts I would like to make.  Last year I was successful in achieving all but one of the quilts I listed.  Fingers crossed I have similar output in 2020.  I have also added in my UFO projects at the end....I wish I could finish them, but some are destined for disbursement!

 Rainbow Scrap Challenge block  is Julies 6"  block using colour of the month one side and black the other - (pattern HERE) because it is a)  ideal for using up more scraps in 2020 b) can cut with my GO c) still using little scraps of fabric, but avoiding 2.5" HST  which I am sick of! d) might mean I actually make some RSC blocks in 2020!!

 

Thousand Oaks from book Patches of Blue by Edyta Sitar.  Not a quick quilt, but some hand work to saviour and enjoy and to use some of my beautiful blues.

Finish Traffic Jam by Pat Sloan - I started making this after Christmas using just black and grey scraps, but stalled at the border.  This will be a charity quilt for a teenager so needs to be a bit bigger than it is, so border definitely required.

 Bonnie Hunter mystery Frolic - I started late, there was still catch up to do when I got distracted by the Traffic Jam scrap quilt, but I am only making half size, so should be able to get that finished this year.

Novelty Snowball quilt - use up some of the endless novelty stash to make a kids charity quilt, with dark snowball corners.  This has been on my wish list for about three years, so definitely time for it to be made!

  

Dresden applique quilt - my own design.  I started making mini dresden blocks for Rainbow scrap challenge a few years ago and stalled.  Over Christmas I started applique them down and then using scraps to applique some cherries in the centres. Will be wall hanging size so should finish this year!

Stalled UFO or Works in Progress list:

Winding ways quilt - still piecing blocks, lots of work to do on this one.

Posh Petals (using Quick curve ruler) - lots to do on this quilt as well, still piecing blocks.

Carolina Chain blocks by Bonnie Hunter - has been a leader and enders, but a good easy summer piecing project, will see if it gets upgraded.

Rainbow scrap challenge four patches/leaders and enders blocks - started putting the blocks together with a red spot background, but stalled, reason forgotten.  Definitely want to finish this one, such colourful fun and I definitely have made more four patches since I last touched it! Will be a charity quilt, but no set size required, so another easy summer piecing project that could be a easy flimsy finish.

This has been unfinished for too many years, time to, accept it is the right size (large wall hanging) and quilt it!

Seven Sisters - been a UFO for possibly a decade or longer, not sure but its a very long time.  I recently had EP papers made to fit the gap between the star points, so I can create a new edge on the "sisters", which will make them easier to join together.  A good hand project, but wont be a quick finish.

This was started when we lived in Sydney.  We left in 2007...so time to either bin it or pass it on to someone who cares, as I have accepted that I no longer like the fabrics or want to finish it!

I have enough of these blocks made to make a quilt, again, just accepting that I am not going to make anymore and just sew the top together as is.  I would rather have some finished flimsies that I can practise my quilting on, or someone else might finish to make into a charity quilt.
That's enough confession and digging up the past for one day!

I have been busy helping my Dad, as he hurt his back and Mum was away on the other side of the state volunteering in a bushfire evacuation centre.   He is hopefully on the road to recovery and Mum is now home again.  I did make him a waist bag to hold his heat pack against his back - out of legs of old jeans.

The terrible bush fires are not near us, but have been in so many different places (three states, but at times four) I have been contacting friends to check they or their family members are OK.  A girlfriend had a fire go through their small property before Christmas and destroy a shed, the renovated cottage visiting family stayed in (and where she had hidden hubbys Christmas presents) and fences - as well as all their hay.  Luckily they had evacuated early, but it was purely a miracle (or perhaps the green lawn and tin fence) that redirected the fire around the house they live in.  The fire was moving so quickly and was so large that the volunteer brigade resources were not able to attend - they were literally fighting to save the small town close to where she lives.  The neighbour who stayed to defend his property moved their tractor, which will be a big help in the coming months to help rebuild.  The other good luck story for the day, was the truck driver delivering the new shed they had ordered was delayed and rang to tell them so - they asked he not deliver because they had evacuated due to catastrophic fire rating that day.  So the materials for a new hay shed/stables (which would not have be insured) were kept at the depot and can be delivered post fire....but they are still cleaning up, getting power and water restored, and waiting for he insurance company to pay up. It will be a long slow road to rebuilding.  I have started taking cuttings from my garden to help her rebuild her garden.  Because I am sure that a green, growing garden will be therapeutic post summer, but that their financial resources will be funnelled into paying for a shed, repairs, tools and fencing materials.  She said they have already been blessed with great kindness for strangers and neighbours.  It is going to be a long hot summer and I pray that we see the end of these terrible fires soon. 

Happy quilting Sue.

Log cabins and a bit of post Christmas sewing

I was gifted a skinny quarter pack by a good friend last year, and I don't know if its bad manners to gift it back to her, but I figured if I made her a table runner out of it first, she would like it more!

 I had to enlist help from another friend to decide on the layout of this table runner. I used a Jo Morton pattern, and did not think ahead about how much those centre squares would dominate.  I liked both settings, but Lisa said go the diagonal, which I did.

Then it was just the matter of quilting.....my least favourite job, but perfect occupation for a heatwave!

I also made two mug rugs for the same friends out of my scraps, one tradition and one modern. 

Once my Christmas visitors left I had some time to start sewing - and given that we had four days of 40c plus in a row, sewing was the only sensible thing to do!


It was not sensible to start the Bonnie Hunter mystery Frolic when they are already up to part 5, but what the hec, I did anyway!  I don't seem to get any sewing done in the mornings (between tackling Mount Washmore and watering the garden) but an afternoon of sewing enabled me to finish half of the required four patches...half LOL!  I didn't pre read the instructions and the four patches are tiny....but I did check my seam allowance as Bonnie instructed and perfected it before I started.
I am committed to this quilt now, but only a half sized version - my stash/scraps wont hold up to the full size in the set colours (and I love these colours) and I want to avoid having to buy any fabric...which is wistful thinking as I used all my aqua in last years Rainbow Scrap challenge!
Happy quilting Sue.